lippmann



@M C/ 71 f z (No Model.) 4 w 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

' G. H. LIPPMANN.

RAILWAY GAR BRAKE. I

No. 244,813. I Patented July 26,1881.

WITNESSE ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G. H. LIPPMANN.

RAILWAY UAR BRAKE.

No. 244,813. Patented July 26,1881.

' WITNESSES: v INVENTOR M %h[ B my improved brake attached thereto.

UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV H. LIPPMANN, OF ZWIGKAU, SAXONY, GERMANY.

RAI LWAY-CAR BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,813, dated July 26, 1881.

Application filed June 22, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern Be itknown that I, GUSTAV HERMANN LIPP- MANN, residing at the city of Zwickau, in the Kingdom of Saxony, Germ an Empire, have invented Improvements in RailwayGar Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improved railroad-car brake which can be worked either by hand or by power, and by which the brakeaction is not exerted upon the tires of the truckwhee1s,but by means of brake-wheels with V- shaped circumferences upon the heads of the rails.

The invention consists of brake-wheels having V-shaped circumferences, the axles of which arearrangedintermediatelybetweenthewheels of the trucks and suspended by outer pivotrods from the frame of the car, and by inner pivot-rods from a common transverse shaft,-

which is suspended by connecting-rods from strong balance-springs. The transverse shaft is vertically guided by side rails, and lowered by means of transverse levers which are pivoted to the connecting-rods and acted upon either by the pistons of steam or air brake cylinders or by a hand-lever mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a railroad-car with Fig. 2 is a top view of the bottom frame of the cars and brake-wheels. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line or m, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, an

end view of the car. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the brake-wheels as detached from the car, and Fig. 6 a detail top view and a side view of the lever mechanism for applying the brakewheels by hand. I J

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

By referring to the drawings, A represents the brake-wheels, which are provided with V- shaped circumferential grooves a. Two pairs of brake-wheels, A, are arranged on transverse axles B, which axles are suspended intermediately between the truck-wheels by outer pivot rods, D, from the bottom frame of the car, and by inner pivot-rods, F, from a vertically-guided transverse shaft, G. The brake-wheels A are arranged vertically above the rails, so that when lowered thereon the V-shaped grooves exert a powerful brake-action upon the heads of thesame. The brake-wheels are applied by the downward motion of the transverse shaft G, by which the two pairs of pivot-rods F act in the nature of toggle-levers. The transverse shaft G is guided in fixed side frames, G, and suspended by short vertical rods 1) b from the strong leaf, spiral, rubber, or other balance springs H, which are supported in a suitable manner at both sides of the car-frame. The lowering of the transverse shaft G can be accomplished either directly or by means of transverse levers d, which are pivoted at the outer ends to the car-frame and intermediate points to the connecting-rods b b. The inner ends of the levers d are acted upon by the piston-rods of cylinders M, the pistons of which are worked by air, steam, or water. The piston-rods are not connected directly with the levers d, but coupled by linksf and a cross-piece, i, at their lower ends to slotted portions of the levers, as shown in Figs. 3 .and 6, so that a downward motion of the levers cl is possible without carryin g the piston-rods of the cylinders M down at the same time. By this arrangement the brakewheels may also be operated by hand. For this purpose the frame of the car is provided, near the levers d, with a short rock-shaft, g, parallel thereto, (shown in Figs. 2 and 6,) which is hung' to suitable bearings of the bottom frame, and provided with rigid arms h, each of which bears upon the inner end of a lever, 01. A crank-arm, Z, of the rock-shaft g is connected by arod, 0, with an e1bow-lever, p, at the end of the car-frame, to which elbow-lever the spindle of the hand brake-wheel is applied in the usual manner, as shown in Fig. 1.

The brakes can by this mechanism be readily applied from the platform or top of the car by the brakeman, or worked by steam, water, or compressed-air cylinders M, as before described. When the brake-wheels are pressed with more or less force upon the rails they will rotate thereon, but exert .at the same time a powerful friction upon the rail-heads. This friction may be increased still more by arranging, in connection with the axles B, additional brakeshoes or other braking devices, though in most cases the latter are not required.

Having thus described my invention,Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- As an improvement in railroad-car brakes,

the combination of brake-wheels A, having V- In testimony whereof I have signed my name shaped oiroumferentlal grooves a, the axlesB of to this specification in the presence of two sub- 10 which are suspended from outer pivot-rods, D, scribing witnesses.

and inner pivot-rods, F, withavertieally-guid- H 5 ed transverse shaft, G,snspended from strong Gt HERMAM LIUMAM' balance-springs H, and with suitable actuat- \Vitnesses:

in g-power or hand-lever mechanism, substnn- CARL FEHLERT,

tially as and for the purpose set forth. 1 BERTHOLD ROI. 

